Snap-in lens assembly and socket mount



Dec. 9, 1952 R. w. JOHNSON SNAP-IN LENS ASSEMBLY AND SOCKET MOUNT Filed Oct. 22, 1948 I JNVENTOR. RUSSELL W JoH/vso/v BY A rromvzsx Patented Dec. 9, 1952 I'SNAPQINLENS.ASSEMBLYANDSOCKET MOUNT Russell W. "."Johnson fllevelandg flhio; assignc'r to- United.- Carr Fastener Conporatinm: C'ambridgn'g -Mass.;,,1-a-.corn0ra;tion of Massachusetts 1 Application '0ctob'erj22, 194%,Serial No. 55,919

fifllaimsm (Cl. 240 8.18)

51 Thisiiinverition relates to lampand lens-asseiie blies-asucli "as are used in-flash: lights; *courtesy lights-trouble lights and the i like, and aims ge-n 'erally toEimprovetlie construetiono'f suchassemblies:

It isl an obi-ect of this inverition to provide a lamp and-lens assembly which is simples ct rugged in construction and- Whichcan --be quickly assembledor disassembled by hand.

It is a :f-urthe1i object of thisinventi'onto pro-- vide: a trouble andcourtesy-light having in combinatiorr a white reflector -for illuminatingand signalling purposesand -a redreflector for signallin'g purposest it? is .a still furthenpbieot of this inventionto provide "a novel assembly-of lensand lanip bu'lb 'socket' which may be' rel'easably assembled --wit"h a scasing-zor. supporting member merely bypushing theipartsitogethenw It is another object of the invention to-provide a combined troublelight and warning light which may be mounted on a suitable support such as a tripod and positioned in the vicinity of a parked car to serve as a signallingsmeans-topassing motorists.

It is still another objectof the invention to provide a trouble light which may be operated by attachment to a battery orother source o'fyelec tricity:

The above and other objects of? the 'i'nveliti n will b'eapp'arent to persons skilled in thej-art'to which the inventionrelates froma consideration 'ofithe accompanyingdrawings-and annexedisgecific'ation illustratingand-"describing a preferred embodiment thereof.-

In the drawings Fig. '1 isia view of the assembled trouble light showing the casing memberand -the lens and lamp socket assemblies attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the lens and lamp socket assemblies;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the lens assembly;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lens assembly taken on line 5-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the lamp socket assembly with the lamp and socket removed; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp and socket assembly taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 1 the supporting part or member for the lens and bulb assembly may be in the form of a casing member I formed of plastic, cardboard or other suitable material and the lens and lamp socket assemblies 2 and 3 are removably held in the ends of the casing members by snap fastener engagement therewith;-- The casing"! is-preferably; cylindrica ljin shapeand has conductor-connections 5 "torconnecting the lamp-;-ai1'd; socket ass'emblieswitljr a suitable source bi -electricity such as a battery. In' 'a preferred-construction the improved trouble light. according to the present invention,; isfpro- "videdwi'th a clear-lens at one endand a red lens at the other, theformer giving maximum i11umi natiorr and the latter acting as awarri-ing or 's'ig nailing light. The lenses are preferablylroun'ded inshape'as shoWna-nd' may' be constructed (if a.

suitable plastic such aslucite, or of glass or} other suitable material.

The lens assembly, shown more particularly' in i'ntod-the end offthe-casing-"l; Thela npgsocket assembly suppertin'g means 1 'is' provided with an inwardly extending flanged portion 1 6 defin ingan'opening T7 "of a sizeto receive-'thespring fingers-moi the lamp soc'ketas'sembly. V

As shown: more particularly in {Fig-"s: 5 andfS/the lamp soeket assembly c'om-pri'sesa casing-rapper; at. one e'ndto receive the lamp and having at the other o'o-nltarits and 2 2 for co-r-mecting the lamp to J the w i res 5. The; casing -20= has bentout-portions 23 ton cooperation with projections on-the baseof the lamp'to holditinylaiae. Atfi'acent its open end the casing-:20 i's-provided :anoatwardiy extending flange 2 which is bent over and around an annular ring 25 to securely hold it. Ring 25 is provided with the outwardly extending spring fingers I8 previously mentioned.

In assembling the device the lamp 26 is first inserted in the casing 20 and then turned. to lock it in position. The lamp socket assembly is then inserted through the opening I I of the lamp socket assembly supporting means I and the spring fingers l8 pushed through the opening I! to engage the opening and hold the flange 24 securely against the flange l6 by a snap fastener action. The assembled lens and lamp socket supporting means are then pushed into the end of the casing I until the spring fingers ll firmly engage the inner portion of the casing to firmly secure the parts together. A sufficient length of the wire 5 remains in the casing I to permit removal of the lens and lamp socket assemblies to replace a bulb, et cetera, without breaking or disconnecting the wires.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an economical, simple and easily assembled trouble light which may be provided at one end with a clear lens for lighting purposes and at the other end with a red lens for warning purposes. This light may be connected to a battery or other source of electricity for operation and may be carried by hand or mounted on a suitable support, such as a tripod, as desired.

Although a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described in the specification and drawings, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto as the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A light structure comprisin a lens having a peripheral rim portion, an annular ring provided with spring fingers for releasably engaging the edges of an aperture in a support, a second annular ring provided with a flanged portion extending substantially transversely thereto, said flanged portion being curved inwardly adjacent an end thereof to define an opening, means securing the peripheral rim portion of said lens and both said rings in superposed assembled relation, and a lamp socket assembly comprising a socket means for releasably holding a lamp and mounting means releasably securing said socket assembly in the opening of said flanged portion.

2. A light structure in accordance with claim 1 in which the mounting means releasably securing the socket assembly in the opening of the flanged portion comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring fingers attached at one end to the lamp socket assembly and having yieldable portions at the other end for releasably engaging the edges of the opening in the flanged portion.

3. A unitary lens assembly and socket mounting for snap fastener attachment to a support comprising a lens having a peripheral rim portion, an annular ring provided with spring fingers for releasably engaging the edges of an apertured support, a second annular ring provided with an outwardly extending peripheral rim portion and an axially spaced parallelly disposed inwardly extending centrally apertured portion providing a thin edged annular snap fastener socket member for releasably holding a lamp socket assembly, and means for securing the peripheral rim portions of said lens and both of said rings in superposed assembled relation.

- 4; A lens assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which the means for securing the peripheral rim portion of the lens and both the rings in superimposed assembled relation comprises an annular ring provided with inwardly extending flanges gripping opposed outer surface portions of the superposed rim portion and rings.

5. A light structure comprising an apertured supporting member, a lens having a peripheral rim portion, an annular ring provided with spring fingers for releasably engaging the edges of the aperture of said support, a second annular ring provided with a flanged portion extending substantially transversely thereto, said flanged portion being curved inwardly adjacent an end thereof to define an opening, means securing the peripheral rim portion of said lens and both .said rings in superposed assembled relation, and

a lamp socket assembly comprising a socket means for releasably holding a lamp and mounting means releasably securing said socket assembly in the opening of said flanged portion.

6. A dual purpose light structure comprising a casing member provided with a plurality of lamp-receiving openings, a lens and lamp socket assembly releasably mounted in each of said openings, each assembly comprising a lens having a peripheral rim portion, an annular ring provided with spring fingers for releasably engaging the edges of said lamp-receiving openings, a second annular ring provided with a flanged portion extending substantially transversely thereto, said flanged portion being curved inwardly adjacent an end thereof to define an opening, means securing the peripheral rim portion of said lens and both said rings in superposed assembled relation, and a lamp socket assembly comprising a socket means for releasably holding a lamp and mounting means releasably securing said socket assembly in the opening of said flanged portion.

- RUSSELL W. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,656,648 Ritz Woller Jan. 17, 1928 1,977,356 Schmid Oct. 16, 1934 2,165,562 Mack July 11, 1939 2,207,507 Douglas July 9, 1940 2,218,807 Breer et a1 Oct. 22, 1940 2,238,728 Hadley Apr. 15, 1941 2,260,091 Paccadolmi Oct. 21, 1941 2,280,275 Young Apr. 21, 1942 2,407,737 Erasmus Sept. 17, 1946 2,414,527 Hudson Jan. 21, 1947 

